Another way to reduce waste!

This is an article reprinted from the August 2008 edition of NWREporter.

"It's free. It's grassroots. It's worldwide and its members share the goal of keeping good stuff out of landfills."

"Called The Freecycle Network™, the nonprofit Web-based gifting movement boasts more than 4,500 groups and 5 million-plus members in towns across the globe. More than 40 groups are situated in Washington state."

"The organization's mission is to build a worldwide gifting movement that "reduces waste, saves precious resources and eases the burden on our landfills while enabling members to benefit from the strength of a larger community." "

"Using Freecyling, individuals can gift and reuse useful items in their local communities, rather than throw them away. By helping participants find new homes for things they no longer use, or acquire needed items free, freecycling keeps more than 400 tons out of landfills every day, according to the organization's research."

"Of particular interest to real estate industry professionals and their clients: Freecycle is a great place for finding moving boxes or posting the availability of such containers for others to re-use."

"Membership is free and everything posted must be free, tangible, legal and appropriate for all ages. Members must abide by certain basic "no strings attached" guidelines (e.g., no services, no trades/barter/money)."

"To view items being given away or sought in a particular area, you must be a member of the local group and abide by guidelines. (In Seattle, for example, FreecycleSeattle members must live or work daily inside the city limits.) Each local group is moderated by a local volunteer. To find a local group, visit http://freecycle.org"

"The Freecycle Network was started in May 2003 to promote waste reduction in Tucson's downtown and to help save desert landscape from being taken over by landfills. The Network provides individuals and non-profits an electronic forum to "recycle" unwanted items. One person's trash can truly be another's treasure! "

"Lending credence to their motto of "changing the world one gift at a time," the amount of items gifted in the past year is the equivalent of over four times the height of Mt. Everest when stacked in garbage trucks – over 300 million pounds."